


Revelations

by PotterheadAvengerDemigod



Series: Blue Streaks, Electric Eyes and Black Masks [2]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types, X-Men (Movies), X-Men (Movieverse)
Genre: Gen, Identity Reveal, Mutant Powers, Mutant Tony Stark, Mutant!Tony, Mutants, Randomness, Secret Identity, powerful tony
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-10-17
Updated: 2015-03-28
Packaged: 2018-02-20 09:49:33
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 3,499
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2424263
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PotterheadAvengerDemigod/pseuds/PotterheadAvengerDemigod
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Also known as Ways Tony Stark Could Have Been Ousted As The Mutant Arc. Companion to Genius Billionaire Playboy Philanthropist... Mutant.<br/>"Arc is mysterious and secretive, dark and an unsolvable enigma all around."</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Stop Hiding Behind The Masks

**Author's Note:**

> It's probably a good idea to read Genius Billionaire Playboy Philanthropist... Mutant before reading this...  
> Be warned, the chapters are extremely short because they were basically just different plot bunnies that I'd vetoed in the planning process. XD  
> Most of the ideas are all kinda cliche, which is why I vetoed them...

Arc and Cap were back-to-back, the second-in-command of the X-Men fighting and trusting the leader of the Avengers. The feeling was somewhat mutual, and Cap could value a good partner when he saw (read: fought alongside) one, but the super soldier knows better than to trust someone he doesn’t know.

Especially Arc.

Arc is mysterious and secretive, dark and an unsolvable enigma all around. Cap can’t bring himself to really trust him, even if the guy obviously has his back and actually _has_ saved him a couple times.

They fight different enemies, a couple of the Brotherhood circling them, like sharks who’ve smelled blood.

Well, to be exact, the ones circling them are Mystique and Psylocke, and Arc’s focused on Mystique, the good Captain facing off with Psylocke.

Mystique is wary of Arc -she’s fought with and been taken down by the masked mutant before- and she circles carefully, waiting for the chance to strike.

Mystique darts forward, arm reaching out to throw a punch, but the attack is diverted by Arc’s telekinesis.

She growls in frustration. How do you fight a telekinetic with physical attacks?

Mystique throws out a few more attacks, testing Arc's boundaries, and out of the flurry of limbs only about one or two attacks actually hit their mark, and Arc can feel a couple of bruises blossoming on his forearms and torso.

The girl can _hit_.

Steve has already just about taken down Psylocke when Mystique finally lands a serious enough hit to faze Arc.

Winded from a harsh kick to the diaphragm, Arc crumples to the ground, clutching at his stomach as he tries to catch his breath.

By the time Arc gets his breath back, Mystique's leg is flying towards his head, the limb striking him hard across the face.

Arc grabs blindly, catching hold of the woman's leg and pulling her off balance, sucking her energy and rendering the shapeshifter unconscious.

“So, Captain,” Arc begins, only to cut off abruptly as Steve gapes at him in consternation and disquietude.

“Wha- oh God,” Arc bites out, hearing his own voice clearly all at once.

He frantically reaches a hand up to his face -his _bare_ face.

Steve hasn’t seen his face -not yet-, but he’s heard his voice, his undisguised, not-modulated voice.

He’s screwed.

“T-Tony?” Cap stutters, face white with shock.

Arc spins on his heel, eyes shut and brow furrowed. “You got me.”


	2. Arc, At Your Service

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tony has a mild panic attack/flashback in this one.  
> A little unintended angst because of the flashback, but so little it's almost inconsequential.

_Anthony,_ Xavier’s voice echoes in Tony’s head. _Get out of the suit. Erik is nearing you._

Tony, needless to say, panics. _I can’t, Charles! I’m in my leathers!_

And before the conversation gets any further, before Tony can make the whether or not decision to reveal himself, Magneto arrives.

"Tony!” Scott yells over. “Get out of here!”

But Tony is already ensnared in Magneto’s grasp. The suit is tossed through the air like a ragdoll, the metal compressing in on him, crumpling and folding in on itself.

Jean thrusts out a hand, telekinesis slowing Magneto's attack enough to grant Tony a slight reprieve. Tony gathers his concentration, breathing hard, as he musters his utmost concentration to block Magneto's ability to control his suit.

The effort spent to block out Magneto's ability exhausts him, and his already battered body can't take the additional stress.

He blacks out.

By the time he regains consciousness and enough strength to feel half as well as he usually does -as compared to goddamn shitty-, the fight's somewhat over and Magneto has gone -God knows where, though.

He wakes to hovering Avengers and X-Men alike, worried faces just in his line of vision. "Tony? You okay?"

Tony unlatches the faceplate, feeling the pressure on his lungs and Reactor, the suit compressing and folding in on him, pressing down on his already compromised lungs.

He can't breathe.

He takes gasping, heaving breaths, trying to breathe past the compression of his lungs, his ribs groaning under the pressure. He slows his breathing, consciously trying not to hyperventilate, trying not to remember dark caves and water, wires and sparks flying, water in his lungs, wires in his chest.

_Don't. Don't think about it, Stark. Pull yourself together. Don't. Do. Not. Think._

But he can't _breathe_!

A voice cuts through the fog of panic in his mind. "Tony. Tony, calm down. You're safe, you're with us. Just breathe."

He tries to slow down his breathing, but his breaths are shallow and don't take in nearly as much oxygen as he requires.

Right. The suit.

Tony technopathically disengages the suit, crawling out from the claustrophobic confines.

There're a couple of gasps, harsh intakes of breath, and a soft, "Oh God."

Then strong hands pull him backwards, and he instinctively fights against them before realising that it's Scott.

The mutant stands a little in front of Tony, half-shielding him from the gaping Avengers.

"Wha-" Tony starts, before blanching and glancing down at himself. "Oh God."

"Okay," Clint starts. "I was not expecting that."

"Wha- who-"

Tony offers a small, lopsided smile that doesn't reach his eyes. "Erm. Surprise?"

"Hang on," Clint stares. "You're telling me that _Tony's_ an _X-Man_? As in, _Tony freaking Stark_?"

Scott glowers at the disbelief. "Not just any X-Man. Tony, put it on. There're still some Brotherhood mutants around. You don't want your identity revealed."

Tony nods, bending at the waist to unlatch a hidden compartment in the suit, sliding a piece of jet-black material from it.

He holds it gingerly in his hands, eyes darting, alert against potential threats.

His dark eyes flash, a sudden, split-second arc of electricity, and he slides the piece of material over his face, fingers latching the mask on. With a soft, almost inaudible whirr of technology, the black fabric lights up, glowing lines of white-blue racing across the dark background, the eyeholes sparking to life, turning the dark irises and pupils a stunning white-blue, electricity occasionally flashing across the brightly lit canvas. Streaks of blue appear in his hair, spreading out from the roots.

The Avengers gape at the man in front of them -the man that looks nothing like Tony but for the build.

A small smirk crosses the man's face, lopsided and a little self-deprecating. Tony drops into a mocking little bow, pitch black and electric blue X-Men leathers so very different from the hot-rod red and bright gold of the Iron Man suit. "Arc, of the X-Men, at your service."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Again, no regular updates, sorry!


	3. Name Calling

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Arc and Tony Stark only have that little in common; loyalty, stubbornness, sarcasm.
> 
> "Where's Iron Man?"  
> Clint frowns, his eyes glimmering in thought and suspicion. "I think I know."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry I haven't updated in so long! I've been bombarded by plotbunnies left write and center and I've been spending way more time than I should writing all of them (and they're not even close to being done...).  
> Hope you guys enjoy!

Arc is levitating above the battlefield, keeping a sharp eye out for his team(s). He’s always worked better with the bird’s eye view, far above the others fighting on the ground and keeping watch for them, calling out attacks and patterns.

He sees the Avengers and the X-Men fighting side-by-side, sees Natasha and Jean back-to-back, Scott and Cap -both tactical geniuses in their own rights- conferring and strategising, Thor and Storm whipping up gigantic storms.

His teams work well together, that he freely admits. It's pretty amazing what the two teams can accomplish together -it's the fastest he's ever seen the Brotherhood be taken down.

He lands once, beside Natasha, deflecting a seismic wave that Avalanche fires off in her direction.

The assassin nods at him curtly, in thanks, before turning back to her battle.

He's quite surprised that none of the Avengers have linked Arc to Tony Stark yet -all of them are geniuses in their own rights-, but then again, Arc is just one of his many masks, much like Tony Stark is as well.

Tony Stark is the genius billionaire playboy philanthropist, the narcissistic, selfish, childish man that has too much money and influence for his own good, while Arc is a mutant, the powerful, feared second-in-command of the X-Men, mysterious and unknown; cloaked in shadows and hidden in plain sight.

Arc and Tony Stark only have that little in common; loyalty, stubbornness, sarcasm.

It stands to reason that none of the Avengers relate the mutant to Tony at all.

Arc is back in the sky, levitating above them all, calling out threats and preventing his teams from getting stabbed in the back -literally.

It is but a moment later that he spots Azazel appearing on the rooftop behind Clint, manic grin on his face and arms outstretched as if to hug the archer.

Arc knows Azazel's _modus operandi_. Teleport behind a person, grab said person, teleport into midair, drop the person. Ta-da! Instant hero pancake.

Arc frowns, throwing a hand up in Clint's direction, sending a wave of force towards the red-skinned mutant, sending the guy plummeting off the roof with a shriek.

Clint pivots sharply on his heel, gaping at the spot on the roof where the mutant did a diving header off. "What just- Did that really just happen?"

"Really, Legolas? Aren't you supposed to be the one with the hawk eyesight? How did you _not_ see that, Katniss?"

There is a moment of utter silence before Clint's voice returns, shaky but masking it. "Repeat that?"

Tony rewinds what he said mentally, and, understandably, freaks out. "Nah," he feigns nonchalance. "It's nothing."

"That wasn't-"

"I said, it's nothing!"

When the battle finally ceases and the Brotherhood is gone, the heroes convene, the X-Men and Avengers painfully separate, and the Avengers realise that one of their number is missing.

"Where's Iron Man?"

Clint frowns, his eyes glimmering in thought and suspicion. "I think I know."

Before Tony can so much as back away, the assassin is in front of him, barely a finger's width apart, and Tony jerks back in alarm as the archer reaches out a hand and rips the mask from his face.

Tony backs away, hiding behind the X-Men as the Avengers stare uncomprehendingly at him.

"Wh- how-"

Tony shrugs, pulling on an I-don't-care mask. "Well, the game's up."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this one was particularly short, but I actually really liked it. :) I had a good time writing it, hope you guys enjoyed it just as much!


	4. Ohana Means Family (Also known as The One Where Tony Stark Is Way Too Self-Sacrificing)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Only one thing to do, then.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry I haven't updated in so long... I kind of got caught up with other fic ideas that started assaulting me and I'm never gonna be done with writing weird ideas. X)

Arc hovers above the battlefield as usual, misdirecting enemy hits and dive-bombing some of the Brotherhood for the heck of it, using his Energy Manipulation like he would the repulsors -in fact, the repulsors had been designed based on his Energy Manipulation.

He sends the occasional burst of electricity crackling towards the enemy when they get too near to his family, dispelling the threat temporarily if nothing else.

It is then that he sees one of Callisto’s blades flying through the air towards Clint with deadly accuracy. He calls on his telekinesis, trying to divert the blade, but finds, to his horror, that he can’t. He pushes everything he has into redirecting that blade, but it only goes off tangent for a little while before righting itself.

But it’s _Clint_. he can’t let him die. It’s Clint, his brother-in-arms, his fellow prankster, one of the only people that can match him witticism for witticism, sarcasm for sarcasm, lame joke for lame joke.

And, judging by the trajectory of the blade -he’s not a genius for nothing; he earned a PhD in physics when he was _twelve_ , for God’s sake-, if it hits Clint, it’ll go right through his heart.

God.

Only one thing to do, then.

He leaps in front of the speeding missile, and a burst of agony lances through him as impact of a blade thrown at close-to-superspeed knocks him backwards as the pain almost knocks him out. He’s aware of a scream of pure agony that pierces through the air, but that’s about all he can register over the pain blooming in his abdomen, the warm liquid numbness that washes over the site of injury, white-hot heat running through him and frying nerve endings, the feeling of blood trickling from the corner of his mouth before everything goes white as a hand wrenches the blade from his abdomen.

His entire stomach contracts in protest to the pain, and he's pretty sure the movement ripped a hoarse cry from his throat, judging from the man above him who's muttering apologies repeatedly.

He feels calloused hands pressing down on his wound, sending him into a large, full-body flinch, pain pulsing through his body as he automatically pumps more energy into the flesh at the injury site, trying to urge the cells to repair themselves.

* * *

As the battle winds down, Clint hears the two leaders calling for their teams to check in, hears the buzz of voices over the comm as the team as the Avengers and X-Men begin calling in status reports.

 There is a moment of silence as the X-Men seem to wait for one of their own to check in, but receive no reply.

"Arc? Arc, status report!" Cyclops calls through the comms. "Does anyone see Arc?"

Clint listens to the panic in the X-Men's voice before a scream of pain rips through the air, causing him to  pivot on his heel, his eyes immediately meeting the downed body of Arc, standing barely a few feet from him, writhing in agony and face screwed up in pain. There’s a blade in his abdomen, and judging from the angle and position of the mutant, he’d jumped in front of a blade that had been meant for Clint.

“I have visual on Arc, he’s down. Knife in the stomach. I need medical here!”

Clint dashes to Arc’s side, flinching sharply as he pulls the knife from Arc’s abdomen with a gruesome, wet sucking noise, wincing as the mutant immediately begins convulsing, a scream ripped from his throat, and Clint mutters apologies profusely, hands pressing down on the wound which is still gushing blood, sending the mutant flinching violently.

Then the other X-Men and Avengers are on scene, and they gather around the fallen mutant before Beast pushes them backwards with instructions not to crowd Arc.

Bruce is back, Hulk already sensing the need for the doctor and relinquishing control. When Bruce comes back to himself, the first thing the doctor does is reach  for Arc's mask.

"No-" Arc's cry of denial is abruptly cut off as the mask is ripped off his face.

When the mask comes off, it is to reveal a goateed face, all sharp angles and angular jaw, dark brown hair coiffed perfectly even as scarlet blood trickles from the corner of his mouth. Dark brown eyes, glazed with pain but still focused and taking in information. Sharp nose, olive tanned skin.

_ Tony Stark. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy your Protective!Tony :)


	5. Fury-ous

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Starring...  
> Nick Fury  
> Retired Director (Aunt Peggy) Carter (mentioned)  
> And of course, Tony (Arc) Stark!

It takes a while for S.H.I.E.L.D. personnel to get to the scene of battle, and in that time the X-Men and Avengers were showing off their multi-tasking skills -meaning, they were clearing rubble and socialising with the other superhero group at the same time.

There's already some friendly banter going on between Natasha and Rogue, and Steve and Scott seem to have hit it off pretty well, discussing battle strategies and how tiring it is to be chasing after an entire group of restless superheroes all the time.

Clint and Logan have an ongoing rivalry in the works, and they'd already started a 'who can destroy the most shit' competition.

There are explosive arrows flying everywhere, acid and oil slick arrows impacting and causing minor slip-ups and a couple of close calls.

That's nothing for the adamantium that's slicing and dicing concrete and tarmac, bits of gravel and cubed rock flying through the air and occasionally hitting some of the other heroes.

Needless to say, Hawkeye and Wolverine have actually made the post-battle mess _worse_.

No one is actually bothering to stop the two, though, because to be honest, they don't really care if the mess is doubled, or tripled; either way, S.H.I.E.L.D. was ultimately the one who had to clean it up anyway.

Well, no one tries to stop the two until a piece of flying gravel hits Natasha on the side.

That's when everything freezes.

Clint is already backing away slowly, and the moment he deems himself far enough away from the Black Widow, he darts away, hiding himself behind Steve.

Natasha rolls her eyes, turning away from the archer and back to her conversation with Rogue.

Clint peeks out from behind Steve, and the moment he sees Natasha turning away, he cautiously backs out from behind Steve.

He heaves a sigh of relief when nothing happens, and turns back to goading Logan.

That’s when a handful of gravel rains down on him, and Clint immediately spins on his heel, complaint already on his tongue, when he sees Natasha grinning at him, another handful of gravel already in hand.

Clint pouts at her, narrowing his eyes. He picks up his own handful of gravel, takes aim, and is just about to throw it over at the other assassin when the QuinJet touches down and Coulson strides purposefully out of it.

“Avengers, X-Men, the Director would like you to report to HQ for debrief,” the agent says calmly, ignoring the fact that his two agents are surreptitiously trying to return the gravel in their hands back to its place on the ground.

Steve and Scott nod in unison, and the entirety of the heroes trudge onto the QuinJet, save for those who can fly.

 

* * *

 

"Stark," Fury says the moment the two teams stride into the helicarrier, his gaze immediately connecting with that of Arc's, a truly terrifying smile stretching across his features.

Tony shrugs and pulls off the mask. It's not like anyone in the room didn't already know who he was. "Hey, Nick. Nice to see you finally thought to share that you knew I was a mutant. How long has it been? Twenty, twenty-five years?"

Fury raises an eyebrow, the only outward expression of his confusion. He'd hoped to trip Stark up with the revelation, make the billionaire freak out. Clearly, that didn't work.

"Yeah, I know daddy dearest told you, Nick. Not much of a jump; you always were one of the few people he trusted. Up 'til yesterday, only the X-Men and six other people knew. And only two of those six were voluntarily told. The question I want answered is, why now? Why not keep it to yourself and always have a way to blackmail me?"

Fury scowls half-heartedly at the genius. He may be a cold, unfeeling master spy, but he _does_ actually give a damn about Tony Stark. It's hard not to, when he watched the boy grow up.

"It's because I was never sure what powers you had, Stark. But now I know who you are; what you do."

Tony closes his eyes, and even through his eyelids they can see him rolling his eyes.

"I don't really care that you know my ID, Fury. But you will _not_ input it into S.H.I.E.L.D.'s database, you will not reveal it to anyone, you will not instruct anyone to input it into S.H.I.E.L.D.'s database for you.

"I'll give you a choice, Fury. It's either you don't reveal my ID, or you go up against me. And you don't want to know what I'm really capable of."

Fury glares at Tony, but the genius simply holds his gaze coolly.

"Actually," Tony adds, cocking his head to the side, an idea sparking to life. "You should be more worried about what _Retired Director Carter_ is capable of."

Fury's mouth falls open, and the horror that flashes ever so briefly in his eye is visible to everyone in the room. "You wouldn't."

Tony smirks, reaching for his phone. "I have Aunt Pegs on speed dial."

Beside him, Steve tenses, a sharp, sudden jolt of surprise even as Fury's one eye bores into Tony.

"Don't you dare, Stark."

Tong shrugs, tamping down on the grin that threatens to engulf his features. "Hey, it's not my fault you're terrified of someone who I just so happen to know."

Fury just keeps glaring.

Tony raises the phone higher, thumb hovering over the touchscreen. “Come on, Nicky, I’m waiting.”

Fury growls, low under his breath, but the superspy knows when he’s beaten. Peggy Carter will not take lightly to the fact that he is essentially collecting blackmail material on her kind-of godson.

“I,” Fury grits out, features stiffening as if he’s about to do something he knows he’ll regret. “I accept your terms, Stark.”

Tony grins at that, shoving his phone back into his pocket, calling out, “Got that, J? Save it!”

“Acknowledged, Sir,” JARVIS’s voice replies, a hint of laughter in his tone. “Shall I save it in the ‘Fury gets pwned’ folder, or the ‘Fury’s epic fails’ folder?”

Tony doubles over laughing as the vein in Fury’s temple begins pounding.

“Y-your choice, J-JARVIS,” Tony chokes out over his cackles.

“Stark,” Fury bites out, vein still throbbing. “Get your AI off my ship.”

Tony simply shrugs. “No can do, Nick. Your techs can try, though, if they manage it, give me a call. There’s a position waiting for them at SI.”

Then Tony grins and turns on his heel, leaving the meeting room. It’s barely five seconds later that he’s sticking his head back in. “Oh, and a little parting gift from Arc.”

Tony snaps his fingers, and the lights in Fury’s office go out immediately.

“STARK!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this one was inspired by a comment in chapter 2 by :33  
> Prompt: what would happen if, instead, everyone got back to the helicarrier for a debriefing and Fury either greets Arc as 'Stark' or asks where Tony is and Tony either is like 'OH SHIT!' or he says all cheerfully 'HERE!'.

**Author's Note:**

> No guarantee of regular updates... Sorry 'bout that.


End file.
